


Divergence

by Carmarthen



Category: Mongolian History RPF
Genre: Alternate History, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Divination, F/F, Magic, Politics, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-29
Updated: 2020-08-29
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:41:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26174413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Carmarthen/pseuds/Carmarthen
Summary: Fatima foresees a terrible future if Güyük becomes Great Khan, and Töregene makes a different choice: history diverges.
Relationships: Fatima/Töregene Qatun
Comments: 15
Kudos: 15
Collections: Short August Medieval Exchange 2020





	Divergence

**Author's Note:**

  * For [saiditallbefore](https://archiveofourown.org/users/saiditallbefore/gifts).



> I have longed for so many years for someone else to request Mongolian history RPF, so I was thrilled by your request (and then immediately terrified, because properly doing this would require a lot more than two weeks and a lot more than a thousand words). I hope this little divergence point in history towards a happier retirement for these two is at least something, though.

There were many ways to scry the future, in a mirror or a bowl of water, in the entrails of animals, or the flame of a lamp, but Fatima had always felt an affinity for smoke. Perhaps it was that first vision she had seen so long ago as she was torn from the flames of al-Mashhad al-Ridhawi: the round, deceptively soft face of a woman with clever eyes and a smiling mouth, her hand outstretched as if to give hope.

That woman was Töregene, who had herself taken in war but had long ago learned to hide her true thoughts behind charm and smiles. A second wife to a third son, but already the mother of two grandsons of Chinggis Khan, heirs of the Borjigin bone, and pregnant with another. Töregene had wealth and power and status, and yet she had needed Fatima, and that need had made Fatima’s own captivity bearable.

And now the Great Khan was dead, the Empire balanced on the edge of a cliff where a breath of wind could destroy it, and Töregene Khatun had asked her counsel and more than her counsel: the secret knowledge of the fire and smoke.

"Think of your sons, my queen," Fatima said after Töregene, splendid in gold-brocaded crimson and a pearl-embroidered cap, had settled herself on a bench. She moved a bit stiffly now, but there was still more black than gray in the braids looped behind her ears. She was still strong, still beautiful to Fatima’s eyes. "Think of the seat of the Great Khan. Imagine the gathering of the khuriltai."

As she spoke, Fatima arranged the wood in the brazier, sweet-smelling fragrant woods from Persia. The herbs she had prepared earlier, and as Töregene closed her eyes, she cast a handful on the flame and stilled her mind. The smoke was a tool; her mind was the mirror.

"My husband wanted Köchü’s son Shiremün," said Töregene. "Köchü was always his favorite. But Shiremün is a child, and not of my bone. Köten is ambitious and will not be content with the Tibetan lands; he will put himself forward."

The smoke smelled sharp and sweet, like resin and spices, and stung Fatima’s eyes and nose as she fanned it up into a swirling cloud with an eagle’s wing. "Which one is your preference?" 

Töregene opened her eyes. "Güyük, I think."

Fatima's eyes had begun to water, and shapes swam in the smoke before her, taking form. Ghostly soldiers, carrying torches and drawn swords, glimpsed as if through the door of a ger. _You cannot have her!_ a woman screamed in a voice so raw it was hardly recognizable as Töregene's. _You will have to spill my blood first!_ Güyük in the Great Khan’s jeweled seat under a dark sky, cold-eyed and merciless. Fragments of soldiers' faces. Fists and stones, a phantom blow that knocked the breath from Fatima’s body and sent her sprawling to the ground, her hands pressed over her own mouth to stop her scream from bringing Töregene’s guards.

“Güyük will betray us,” she gasped, meeting Töregene’s worried gaze through the smoke. She could feel the sting of hail on her skin, an ill omen, and she rubbed at her arms, shivering despite the heat of the brazier. “If you make him Great Khan, he will betray us.”

If Töregene felt surprise or pain at the possibility of her own son, who she had taught herself to ride a horse, turning on her, she did not show it on her face. She had lived too long in the Mongol court to trust the loyalty of anyone but Fatima. “Who, then?”

"You could marry Shiremün. He is still a child. The regency would be long. Many years to guide the Empire."

Töregene gave a snort and brushed a bit of flying ash from the sleeve of her de'el. "I have had two husbands; they were exhausting as puppies, but less charming. I am far too old for another, much less one still a pup in truth. No. It will have to be Köten. Batu will support him, but it will take time to strengthen the right alliances before the khuriltai." Her gaze sharpened. "Still, there will be opportunities in the coming years. Do you wish me to find you a husband, after all these years? A handsome young man whose hands you can guide on the reins of power?"

It was difficult to tell, sometimes, even after all these years, when Töregene was jesting. Töregene had never been jealous of Ögedei Kha'an's other wives, not in that way, only wary of the threats their own ambitions might pose. With the stupider ones, she was even kind, a wise older sister who listened to their problems and advised them in their affairs. But with Fatima--well, Fatima had never taken another lover--why would she want to, when she had the ear and the bed of the greatest woman she had ever known? Was Töregene jealous of her loyalty? "I want no husband. If you want to give me more power, make me a minister.”

"Oh, what an idea!" Töregene's laugh was real and deep from her body, the laugh of a girl's simple amusement. "What outrage that would bring; and you would be a wolf among deer. We shall consider it. But come sit by me a while before I must go."

Fatima finished kicking sand over the coals of the fire and went to kneel next to Töregene as she usually did, but Töregene caught her hand and pulled her to sit on the bench beside her. "You'll dirty your de'el," she said, as if it was not already speckled with ash and reeking of smoke from the ritual. But she did not let go of Fatima's hand, and her eyes were soft. "Köten will be Great Khan, and we...shall be happy."

It was not what Fatima expected her to say, this iron-willed queen of queens who had schemed her way from a disgraced people to chief among the Great Khan's wives, who appointed ministers and made decrees and had for so many years grasped for every scrap of power within her reach to shape the Empire to her will. "Did _you_ see something in the smoke, light of my eyes and fire of my heart?"

Töregene brought Fatima’s hand to her lips and smiled. "Only you, my old companion, only you."

**Author's Note:**

> Way Too Many Historical Notes:
> 
> -Köchü is listed in some sources as the son of another wife, apparently, although it seems like now most scholars think he was Töregene’s third son (although if that’s the case, I’m not sure why she didn’t go for the idea of a regency for Shiremün, assuming he was still a child; even if he wasn’t, he wouldn’t have been more than 20 or so). For the purposes of this story, obviously Köchü was not her son - levirate marriage was one thing, but they had boundaries! In reality, being regent probably gave Töregene a reason to avoid a levirate marriage to control her land and power. Töregene had two other, younger sons, but for some reason they do not seem to have ever really been in consideration, and this fic is already full of names (sorry!!), so I just ignored them entirely.
> 
> -Köten (also spelled Koden/Khotan/Kötän/Godan but not to be confused with his half-brother Kadan/Qadan) Khan was another of Töregene’s sons, born the same year as Güyük (so presumably ~9 months or so younger, since I feel like if they were twins it would have been noted). He did not officially ever have the title of khan, although he did administer large parts of China. He was mostly active in conquering Tibet, where he also converted to Buddhism and encouraged the creation of the ‘Phags-pa script. He was largely a peripheral figure in most of the historical chronicles despite his ambitions, but his role in bringing Tibetan Buddhism to Mongolia gave him a large role in Tibetan and Mongolian chronicles, which also involved things like retconning him as having been Great Khan after Güyük. Meanwhile, the Persian sources seem to take his “death” (ostensibly by Fatima’s witchcraft) in 1246 as real, although in reality he didn’t even convert to Buddhism until 1247. In this alternate history where he becomes Great Khan, perhaps he never does convert, with all the historical ripples resulting from that. At any rate, I hope that if Töregene makes him Great Khan that he wouldn’t have such a vendetta against Fatima. Perhaps in this timeline, Fatima cures his mysterious illness.
> 
> -Medieval Persians seemed to use [just about everything for divination](https://iranicaonline.org/articles/divination), so I wildly made things up. Who knows where and how Fatima learned her skills, anyway.
> 
> -The endearments I used are modern Persian and Mongolian endearments because that’s what I could find, but I enjoy the contrast in effusiveness.
> 
> -Sources were primarily Anne Broadbridge’s _Women and the Making of the Mongol Empire_ , which I haven’t finished yet but so far have been finding to be more careful and less sensationalist than Jack Weatherford’s more readable pop history _Secret History of the Mongol Queens_ (also, Broadbridge is footnoted with sources, which is very helpful), plus a bit of Weatherford, Wikipedia, and a lot of searching for random journal articles on Godan Khan to figure out how he “died” in 1246 when he converted to Buddhism in 1247 and kept doing things in Tibet at least until 1251 (I am a bit disappointed Broadbridge didn’t pick up on this discrepancy).
> 
> -Sorry about the extremely long historical note (I deleted half of it!!); I am on-brand, I guess.


End file.
